Comments on: An Urgent Message To Shapely Prose Readers

By: Aviva

Aviva — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:11:43 +0000

Never mind that — once you get past the idea that someone’s health is an undistorted reflection of whether their choices are good and their morals pure — someone who has had reason to deal with the health care system and knows what ugliness it’s capable of when faced with less than perfect health has a lot more knowledge than someone who’s never had to think about or put any effort toward or argue with a doctor over their own health, and might be much more qualified to be in a position of authority with regards to public health.

By: Godless Heathen

Godless Heathen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:59:36 +0000

It may be a little late to respond to LivingTheQuestions' inquiry, but the quote really jumped out at me: “Science doesn’t budge on this. Being overweight is an extremely dangerous public health issue.” No! Swine flu is a public health issue. Being overweight, or obese, or morbidly obese are all private health issues. No amount of me being fat is dangerous to other people. Whether or not my health is impacted by my fatness, it still remains my health, and cannot do any damage to the public at large. Tell your friend that fatness is not a communicable disease.

By: Meryt Bast

Meryt Bast — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:37:14 +0000

I read Catcher as a teenager and laughed all the way through it. What a doorknob. By the end, though, I kind of felt sorry for Holden, because of his brother and all that.

By: living400lbs

living400lbs — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:40:33 +0000

I haven't read Catcher in the Rye, but I'm re-reading Lawrence Block's The Burglar in the Rye right now ;)

By: Eucritta

Eucritta — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:47:11 +0000

“But I do think at a time when a lot of public health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, ….”

A lot of public health concern? As opposed to this, one presumes:

http://i2.democracynow.org/2009/7/22/uninsured_travel_from_across_us_for

You know, even if I weren’t concerned with SA, I don’t know that I could find it in me to give an airborne shit about the Surgeon General’s weight at a time when over half of Remote Area Medical’s work is now in the U.S.

I swear, if nothing else … the so-called obesity epidemic has done a bang-up job of trivializing our national dialogue on health care. Seriously. These people need to fucking grow up.

By: Slim

Slim — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:30:32 +0000

“having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people’s minds”

Great. Let’s direct those questions: Can someone be healthy even if she doesn’t fit the stereotype of how a woman should look? What is necessary for maintaining health? What could we do to ensure that as many people as possible have access to those things? What is this “national epidemic of obesity” crap?

By: Janey

Janey — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:39:53 +0000

Thanks, Sarah, for the clarification. Unfortunately, this story was covered by more than Fox News, and Dr. Benjamin has more detractors than just that gym owner.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=8129947&page=1

“I think it is an issue, but then the president is said to still smoke cigarettes,” said Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine who is now a senior lecturer at Harvard University Medical School. “It tends to undermine her credibility.”

“We don’t know how much she weighs and just looking at her I would not say she is grotesquely obese or even overweight enough to affect her health,” Angell told ABCNews.com.

“But I do think at a time when a lot of public health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people’s minds,” she added.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:43:48 +0000

Do you know how many times I’ve begun, then had to walk away from, a post on how diet : “good” body :: self-punishing mothering : “good” child? Too many to count. It’s not a subject where I have enough distance yet to be able to write without getting worked up, I’m afraid.

A Sarah, I think many of the best posts here are so powerful BECAUSE they come from a place of pure rage/sadness/disappointment at the way the world works. And the world could always use a bit more righteous outrage. Absolutely no pressure, but I think you’re amazingly qualified to write that post and I would love to read it. :)

By: A Sarah

A Sarah — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:07:44 +0000

Oh, thanks Slim — now that I’ve read your comment a second time your meaning completely obvious. I’m just foggyheaded today, sorry!

And I completely agree about the Good Parenting competitions, especially with the implications of your enticing and suggestive “hmmm.” Do you know how many times I’ve begun, then had to walk away from, a post on how diet : “good” body :: self-punishing mothering : “good” child? Too many to count. It’s not a subject where I have enough distance yet to be able to write without getting worked up, I’m afraid.

By: Slim

Slim — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:02:04 +0000

I am making fun of Karolchyk, whose operating principles have the sort of toxicity that could eff up so many. many realms. And as soon as he proposes working His Special Magic on one, I can’t help thinking about which aspect of His Special Magic is going to do the most damage in that particular case.

I am sure there’s a shorter way of saying that.

I am also making fun of Good Parenting competitions, because they are so heavy on the unsolicited advice (hmm, where else is there a lot of unsolicited advice?) and frequently involve food moralizing.

Sorry I wasn’t clear. Am sneaking off to read SP when I should be parenting.